Waycross Partners LLC Makes New Investment in Coca-Cola Company (The) $KO

Waycross Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Coca-Cola Company (The) (NYSE:KO) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 16,213 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,396,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of KO. Bank of America Corp DE raised its position in Coca-Cola by 4.4% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 45,958,636 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,735,058,000 after purchasing an additional 1,939,673 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its holdings in Coca-Cola by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 36,354,414 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,954,523,000 after buying an additional 162,097 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in shares of Coca-Cola by 9.2% in the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 29,053,752 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,361,198,000 after buying an additional 2,439,026 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in shares of Coca-Cola by 1.3% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 18,822,295 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,431,495,000 after buying an additional 235,785 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fayez Sarofim & Co increased its stake in shares of Coca-Cola by 0.7% during the second quarter. Fayez Sarofim & Co now owns 15,272,831 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,241,223,000 after buying an additional 113,599 shares during the period. 70.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Coca-Cola

Here are the key news stories impacting Coca-Cola this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Coca-Cola shares reportedly reached a record high as investors sought defensive stocks amid a market downturn. Its established brands and dividend income may be attracting buyers looking for more resilient businesses. Coca-Cola Stock Hits Record High as Market Crashes
• Positive Sentiment: Recent articles point to Coca-Cola’s shelf presence, distribution reach and consumer habits as sources of a durable competitive advantage. The company’s ability to raise prices while still growing volume supports the long-term investment case. Coca-Cola Stock Is a Buy Thanks to Shelf Space and Habits
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are also focusing on the company’s 64 consecutive years of dividend increases. Its latest quarterly results beat estimates, with revenue up year over year, and coverage says the company raised its outlook and dividend—supporting its earnings and income appeal. Coca-Cola Earnings Beat Lifts Guidance and Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Margin expansion despite higher marketing spending, supported by productivity gains and disciplined pricing, suggests Coca-Cola is balancing investment with profitability. Can Coca-Cola Keep Expanding Margins While Investing More?
• Neutral Sentiment: Executive Beatriz Perez sold 67,548 shares, but the reported sale was to cover tax withholding on vested equity awards, making it a limited signal about her view of the business. Coca-Cola EVP Share Sale
• Negative Sentiment: After a strong run this year and a move to record levels, valuation may constrain further gains; one dividend-focused article suggests prospective investors consider waiting before buying. Coca-Cola’s Dividend Record and Valuation

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently commented on KO. Seaport Research Partners set a $95.00 target price on Coca-Cola in a report on Friday, August 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Coca-Cola from $95.00 to $98.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 28th. HSBC boosted their price objective on shares of Coca-Cola from $90.00 to $98.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Coca-Cola from $104.00 to $106.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 28th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Coca-Cola from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $97.26.

Coca-Cola Stock Down 0.0%

Shares of KO stock traded down $0.04 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $95.69. 18,418,474 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 16,738,640. Coca-Cola Company has a 1 year low of $67.27 and a 1 year high of $97.39. The company’s 50 day moving average is $89.96 and its two-hundred day moving average is $82.69. The company has a current ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93. The firm has a market cap of $411.63 billion, a PE ratio of 28.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.74 and a beta of 0.28.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $0.91 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $13.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $12.92 billion. Coca-Cola had a return on equity of 38.79% and a net margin of 28.65%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.82 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Coca-Cola Company will post 3.34 EPS for the current year.

Coca-Cola Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be issued a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 1st. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. Coca-Cola’s dividend payout ratio is 62.35%.

Insider Transactions at Coca-Cola

In related news, EVP Beatriz Perez sold 67,548 shares of Coca-Cola stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.91, for a total transaction of $6,410,980.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 160,428 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $15,226,221.48. This trade represents a 29.63% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, EVP Nancy Quan sold 50,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.39, for a total value of $4,519,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 223,330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,186,798.70. This represents a 18.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Over the last three months, insiders sold 238,871 shares of company stock worth $21,918,267. Corporate insiders own 0.90% of the company’s stock.

Coca-Cola Company Profile

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a global beverage company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1886, it is best known for Coca-Cola, one of the world’s most recognized soft drink brands.

The company owns, licenses, and markets a broad portfolio of beverages, including sparkling soft drinks, water, sports drinks, coffee, tea, juice, dairy and plant-based beverages, and energy drinks. Its brands include Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Sprite, Fanta, Dasani, smartwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, fairlife, and Costa Coffee, among others.

The Coca-Cola Company serves consumers in more than 200 countries and territories through a system that includes company-operated operations, independent bottling partners, distributors, retailers, and food-service providers.